Two of my students have a question about how John got his first harmonica. Was it a present from his uncle (Mimi's husband) or did he steal it??

Thanks!!

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6 October 20129.31am

meanmistermustard

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Wiki.answers comes up with this (it was the first site i came across in a search to give an answer)

John Lennon was given a harmonica by his uncle George when he was a child, and after his uncle's death began to teach himself. Having played harmonica through early Beatles gigs, John developed his technique in 1962 when the Beatles were on tour with Bruce Channel, and Bruce's harmonica player Delbert McClinton's gave John some tips which influenced John's playing on the Beatles' debut single 'Love Me Do".

Today, on a Dutch talkshow an old lady who still runs a music instrument shop in Arnhem told that in the 80's she heard the story of John stealing a mouth organ in Arnhem and realised that this had happened in her shop. She remembered some very strange looking English boys coming to her shop in the 60's, wanting to look at some instruments, but buying nothing. Later she missed a mouth organ.
She nows sells the same model as 'The Stolen One'.

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I saw that too- I was googling to find my source. I want to say I read it in a "twist of Lennon"- but I have read so many books I really am not sure which one it was. It stood out to me though because I thought it was an awesome gesture.

7 October 20124.36am

mithveaen

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Thanks so much for your answer!! I already posted the info to my 2 young Beatlefriends

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Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…

Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.

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13 April 20143.05pm

Beatleva

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mr. Sun king coming together said
The first harmonica was given to John from George Smith (Mimi's husband). He later nicked one in Germany because he had had the first one for a very long time (at least ten years).

Just one thing, John Lennon actually stole the harmonica in Arnhem, which is in The Netherlands/Holland. He did it when he was on his way to Germany, I think.

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4 September 20158.23am

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meanmistermustard said

Wiki.answers comes up with this (it was the first site i came across in a search to give an answer)

John Lennon was given a harmonica by his uncle George when he was a child, and after his uncle's death began to teach himself. Having played harmonica through early Beatles gigs, John developed his technique in 1962 when the Beatles were on tour with Bruce Channel, and Bruce's harmonica player Delbert McClinton's gave John some tips which influenced John's playing on the Beatles' debut single 'Love Me Do".

(snip)

I came across this article that goes along with the answer mmm provided.

Now, as far as that story about him teaching Lennon how to play the harmonica, McClinton says history doesn’t really support the legend.

It was the early ’60s and McClinton was playing England as part of the backing band for American singer Bruce Channel, who had a huge hit with Hey Baby, on which McClinton played harmonica. The Beatles were opening for Channel.

McClinton says that Lennon already knew how to play and that he just gave him some tips.

“These things are getting romanticized by everyone,” he says. “They [The Beatles] were just another group of guys. They hadn’t yet changed the world. [But] we were all going to change the world, every one of us. And there was no doubt about it.”

I heard that a bus driver who was taking john to scotland when he was a kid had heard him practicing (presumably with the one his uncle gave him) ,and impressed by his efforts gave him a proper hohner model.

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